An expert in leadership thinks that it is wrong to use smartphones and other electronic devices during a business meeting, citing research that indicates 86 per cent of business professionals believe it is not appropriate to answer phone calls in the middle of a formal meeting.

Writing for forbes.com, entrepreneur Kevin Kruse quotes research from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, which found that at least 22 per cent of professionals think it’s inappropriate to use mobile phones during any sort of meeting.

The research also found that young men are most likely to be okay with other businesspeople answering their phones or texting during meetings, reports wsj.com. This suggests there’s a clear gender divide and age gap when it comes to using electronics in both formal and casual meetings.

However, Mr Kruse argues that using a phone during a meeting shows a lack of respect for others, as using a phone suggests that they are not interested in what is currently being said by their colleagues. It also reveals that the user isn’t listening to others and is not paying full attention to what is going on. He added that leaders show a lack of power by constantly answering their phones too, as it displays an image that they are at someone else’s beck and call.